JS: So the European data is clearly tricky to work with. Does the fact that Jonas plays centre compound the difficulty of projecting his development?

Without getting into exactly how drafting Jonas came to be, every team wants these rim-protecting, rebounding centres. Obviously you’d love to have Shaq, who can put up 30 and 15 on a regular basis but as it turns out, those players are pretty easy to identify. You don’t need me to find Shaq or Dwight Howard. But among this sea of guys that are six-foot-10, six-11, seven feet, which ones are going to give you that fundamental core post presence? That bag of skills that includes defending, rebounding and protecting the rim — kind of the Holy Trinity for post players.

What he has done so far suggests that he can fill that role for us. Obviously at the end of the day I can say I think he can most likely do these things, but there are plenty of guys I thought could and didn’t and plenty of guys I thought couldn’t that did.

Not necessarily from Day One but over the long term, I think Jonas will be a guy that is a really good rebounder at both ends and can protect the rim defensively as an on-ball and help post defender. His dedication to improving his free throw percentage speaks to an overall offensive potential that he’s just growing into.

So the work ethic and the passion he clearly has for the game, those intangibles combined with what he’s done on the court are real strong indicators that this is a guy, over the long run, that could be this building block at centre we have for 10-15 years here in Toronto.

"Raptors' frontcourt last season consisted of little-known, mediocre, or retiring players: Solomon Alabi, Aaron Gray, and Jamaal Magloire. All are currently free agents. Will that make it easier to establish yourself? Or perhaps, on the contrary, there won't be any role models to learn from?
- I value competition. It drives us forward, gives motivation. Besides, I want to have the best possible partners during training. The tougher the exercise, the easier the game."

Followed right up with this one:

"During your last season with Vilnius Lietuvos rytas, you hardly ever received passes from the team's point guards and therefore had to create opportunities for scoring yourself. In Raptors, you'll be playing alongside one of the best assist masters in the NBA, Jose Calderon. Do you think he will give you more opportunities to score?
- I am of the best possible opinion about Calderon – both as a person and a player. I believe I will be able to do more with him in the court than without."

Bodes well for the second unit.

Great attitude form near the end of the interview:

"This summer hasn't been easy for you. Hell in Venezuela, your first Olympic Games in London, where you unexpectedly had to carry the load of the team's main center. What have you learnt?
- This summer made me tougher. In some sense, I'm glad I was given a cold shower, since one must learn to get up after a fall."

Hard not to love this kid. Also hard not to wonder what his attitude would have been like if he had grown up in North America and played NCAA ball, with reporters and writers from SI and ESPN following him around. Seems really humble, dedicated and now, at age 20, one can expect that those attributes are part of his mental make-up. Starting to play on a Men's team at 16 and wait in line behind established players must have fixed in his mind the necessity of continuous improvement and hard work.

"Raptors' frontcourt last season consisted of little-known, mediocre, or retiring players: Solomon Alabi, Aaron Gray, and Jamaal Magloire. All are currently free agents. Will that make it easier to establish yourself? Or perhaps, on the contrary, there won't be any role models to learn from?
- I value competition. It drives us forward, gives motivation. Besides, I want to have the best possible partners during training. The tougher the exercise, the easier the game."

Followed right up with this one:

"During your last season with Vilnius Lietuvos rytas, you hardly ever received passes from the team's point guards and therefore had to create opportunities for scoring yourself. In Raptors, you'll be playing alongside one of the best assist masters in the NBA, Jose Calderon. Do you think he will give you more opportunities to score?
- I am of the best possible opinion about Calderon – both as a person and a player. I believe I will be able to do more with him in the court than without."

Bodes well for the second unit.

Great attitude form near the end of the interview:

"This summer hasn't been easy for you. Hell in Venezuela, your first Olympic Games in London, where you unexpectedly had to carry the load of the team's main center. What have you learnt?
- This summer made me tougher. In some sense, I'm glad I was given a cold shower, since one must learn to get up after a fall."

Hard not to love this kid. Also hard not to wonder what his attitude would have been like if he had grown up in North America and played NCAA ball, with reporters and writers from SI and ESPN following him around. Seems really humble, dedicated and now, at age 20, one can expect that those attributes are part of his mental make-up. Starting to play on a Men's team at 16 and wait in line behind established players must have fixed in his mind the necessity of continuous improvement and hard work.

Lovin' it.

JV is very mature for his age, and that will show up on and off the court.

According to FIBA.com, Jonas Valanciunas has left Lithuania and landed in Canada to begin preparing for his rookie season in the NBA. The Toronto Raptors drafted him with the fifth overall pick in 2011 and are eagerly awaiting his debut in their frontcourt.

The 20-year-old has dominated every age level of competition in Europe, but, obviously, the NBA is not an under-21 league. So we checked in with ESPN Insider Fran Fraschilla for his take on what we can expect from the 7-foot, 245-pound center as he battles in the paint with the men of the NBA.

"My gut feeling is he's going to struggle against the top 6-7 tough, physical centers in the NBA," Fraschilla told us. "He'll have nights where he has 19 points and 17 rebounds against weaker teams, but he may get manhandled and in foul trouble versus tougher opponents other nights.

"Watching him in Euro League, it's clear he is not afraid to bang. He loves to play inside. He just needs to continue improving his strength. He should be outstanding in 2-3 years."

Not exactly a ground breaking write-up, but still interesting as it does somewhat temper expectations as to what to expect...similar to what we have been attempting to do...while still looking towards the long term potential that Valanciunas shows.

It will be fascinating to get to watch those games where he shows the potential to put it all together.

indeed. I'm just so so feeling anxious and sick right now. My God, training camp starts in a week and he needs this camp so badly and we all need to see him so badly... I hope it's just some minor shit and they though "we'll put him in that boot to make sure his foot is good before we start training".

While the team said a full update likely wouldn't be coming until Monday, Valanciunas does not appear to be seriously injured, though he was photographed in a walking boot outside the ACC this weekend.

Valanciunas, like most basketball players, has had minor ankle issues in the past and walking boots are known to speed up recovery from minor sprains and strains.

He was not using crutches and was putting weight on the foot, both positive signs.

indeed. I'm just so so feeling anxious and sick right now. My God, training camp starts in a week and he needs this camp so badly and we all need to see him so badly... I hope it's just some minor shit and they though "we'll put him in that boot to make sure his foot is good before we start training".